Tuesday, May 8, 2007

Labor issues you care about in streaming video.

Earnings Aren't Stagnant, They're Plummeting!
May 3, 2007 -  With housing and living expenses steadily climbing, it’s no secret many middle class families are struggling with stagnant wages.

Remembering the Fallen May 2, 2007 - May 1st or May Day in an annual holiday to celebrate the achievements of workers around the world.  For the Machinists it was also a day to remember those who have passed.  The IAM honored its own at a ceremony earlier this week.

Making Work Safe May 2, 2007 - On December 29, 1970, the Occupational Safety and Health Act was signed into law.  Created to protect workers and the workplace, it cut on the job deaths in half.  But now it needs to be updated because it's not keeping up with the times.

A Level Playing Field April 26, 2007 - April 24th is Equal Pay Day.  A day on the calendar that indicates the point of the year when women's wages catch up to men's.  But for union workers, it's always been a level playing field.

Flying Rights
April 19, 2007 - Satisfied workers equals satisfied customers.  This is a notion plaguing the airline industry, especially with so many carriers trying to stay out of bankruptcy or away from mergers.  But now these actions are trickling down to the customers.

Health Care For All April 19, 2007 - From the politicians in Washington to the family next door, everyone seems to be concerned with health care costs.

American Manufacturing: Flourishing or Floundering
April 17, 2007 - Many analysts point to manufacturing as a cornerstone of the American middle class. 

Oldest U.S. Manufacturer Threatened By China Trade
April 10, 2007 - More than 200 years ago the legendary Paul Revere created what is now the oldest manufacturing company in the United States, Revere Copper.

Space: The Next Generation April 5, 2007 - The last generation only knows space travel by the shuttle.  That's going to change in 2010 when the shuttle fleet is retired and replaced with a new program.

Families On Shaky Ground
APRIL 5, 2006 - According to the folks at the Center for American Progress, the economy has been great for those at the top but stagnant for those in the middle or lower income classes.

Safety In The Skies April 4, 2007 - Safety in the skies is everyone's issue, especially after 9-11.  Robert Roach Jr. testified on Capitol Hill about what more needs to be done.

Fresh Faces on the Hill: Congressman Keith Ellison
March 26, 2007 - Congressman Keith Ellison of Minnesota’s 5^th District has had a lot of firsts.  He’s the first muslim ever elected to Congress.  And the first African American elected to the House from Minnesota. 

China's Taste for Trash
March 20, 2007 - According to recent statistics, in 2006 the U.S. exported nearly 60 billion dollars of goods and services to China. But what were those products?  It may surprise you to know that a good portion of it was garbage.

American Workers Want a Union Contract
March 16, 2007 - As the battle over the Employee Free Choice Act heats up – a new report from the Economic Policy Institute shows workers want to join a union NOW, more than any time in the recent past.

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Machinists Approve New Contract at Hamilton Sundstrand

IAM members of Local 743 at Hamilton Sundstrand in Connecticut overwhelmingly approved a new three-year contract with annual pay raises of 3.5 percent, an $8 increase to members’ monthly pension benefit and a $3,000 signing bonus that can be matched by 50 percent if the money is placed in an employee savings plan. Nearly 800 members voted by 96 percent to ratify the new agreement.

“We ended up with a real decent contract,” said District 26 Assistant Business Representative and Chief Negotiator James Parent, who said health care costs and retirement security were key concerns for members and the local negotiating committee.

Additional improvements include new job security language, new job posting language and the creation of a joint committee to identify and track job-based training.

Raytheon Shareholders Target Executive Pensions

IAM representatives presented a proposal at the May 3rd meeting of Raytheon’s shareholders and Board of Directors to allow shareholders to vote to accept or reject any supplemental senior executive pension plan or SERP (Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan). The proposal won support from 49.17 percent of the vote, narrowly missing a passing vote.

“Paying out lavish retirement benefits to executives is unnecessary given the already extremely high levels of executive compensation at Raytheon,” said IAM Research Economist David White. “In addition, Raytheon’s SERP gives certain executives enhanced benefits and credits that are not provided by the company’s other defined benefit plans.”

For more than a decade, companies have been setting up SERPs and allowing senior managers to defer compensation amounts that are above and beyond limits set by federal tax law. The IAM, in cooperation with union-affiliated investment funds and other activist shareholders, will continue to support efforts to reign in SERPs.

Florida & California Locals Ratify ULA Contracts

Nearly 160 members of Local 610 in Cape Canaveral, FL and Local 2786 in Santa Maria, CA, ratified new contracts with the United Launch Alliance (ULA), which operates Atlas Launch Operation facilities at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida and Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.

The three-year agreement includes a four percent general wage increase in the first year and a three percent increase in the second and third years; a $2,000 ratification bonus; increased COLA supplements; increased pension benefits from $60 to $70 per month per year of credi ted service and numerous other improvements. The 91 percent ratification vote followed negotiations for both locations in Cocoa Beach, FL.

The new contract is the first with the new Boeing-Lockheed Martin joint venture company. “These negotiations were unique from the start,” said Aerospace Coordinator John Crowdis. “It took a collective effort from IAM representatives from locals and district on both sides of the country who worked together and brought their expertise to the bargaining table. We also got great support from the Western and Southern Territory offices and the rank and file members from both locations.”

Carter and Byrne Named “Sisters of the Month”

The IAM Women’s Department has named Linda Carter of Local Lodge 1689 in Albuquerque, NM and Valerie Byrne of Local 1295 in Toronto, ON as May’s Sisters of the Month for the U.S. and Canada, respectively.

An active 18-year IAM member, Linda Carter has been serving as Secretary-Treasurer of Local 1689 for the last six years and as Recording Secretary for the previous seven.

Carter’s advice for women thinking about becoming more involved? “Go for it,” she said, and adds that a good plan to get star ted is to join lodge committees, ask questions and learn, utilize the resources available through the union, and take advantage of every educational opportunity.

Valerie Byrne has been a member of Local 1295 for nine years, serving as Recording Secretary for the last year. She has also served on the Executive Board as Trustee, and currently serves as Co-Chair of the Safety Committee.

Byrne recommends union women learn as much as they can. She also adds that it’s a leader’s duty to share that knowledge with fellow members. “You can’t be a good leader if you don’t learn to communicate,” said Byrne.

The IAM “Sister of the Month” is an effort to motivate women to become more involved in their union by recognizing their hard work and dedication. If you’d like to nominate someone, download the nomination form and submit it to the IAM Women’s Department.

Members Send Strong Message to Triumph Composites

Local Lodge 86 members who are employed at Triumph Composites in Spokane, WA sent a clear message to company negotiators by voting 100 percent to authorize a strike if the final contract offer from the aerospace company fails to meet members’ expectations when the current contract expires on May 31, 2007.

The IAM members at Triumph are former Boeing employees who took a 15 percent wage and benefit concession to keep the plant open and protect the more than 300 jobs after Boeing threatened to close or sell it four years ago after the fallout from 9/11.

“The sacrifices of our members not only kept the plant open, they have kept Triumph highly successful through hard work and process improvements,” said IAM Aerospace Coordinator Mark Blondin. “They have lived with over four years of concessions, now it’s time for Triumph to share the profits these workers helped generate.”

Machinists News Network @ YouTube

YouTube For You We Can't Make It Here Anymore - by James McMurtry


Announcing the IAM Photo Contest
The IAM is repeating its members-only photography contest again this year and you are encouraged to enter. You can download a complete contest entry form by clicking here.

2006 IAM Newsletter & Website Contest Awards
Newsletter Award entries are judged on Layout & Design, Best Feature and General Excellence. Local lodges and Districts are judged separately.

The goal of the USA is to create an outdoor hunting and fishing club exclusively for union members and their families. TRCP Launches Union Sportsmen’s Alliance

IAM members can now purchase union gear online at the IAM Store.

IAM Journal
Spring 2007

FOCUS America’s union members do not need to be told what to do. They do what they believe is right, and let the chips fall where they may.

Video: 2007 Day of Action



The 2008 Convention website is online. The site features updates, travel tips, convention news reports, info for the media, and official convention gear. Check it out.



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See who works for you, how the IAM is structured, and what services the IAM offers.
Go to: IAM2007


FlatRateTech is an organization “created for and by Ford and Lincoln Mercury service technicians solely to speak as one loud voice rather than 50,000 smaller voices.” according to their website The fast-growing site offers forums for Ford customers, technicians and dealers to exchange information.

IAM
Executive Council


Tom Buffenbarger
International President

Warren L. Mart
Secretary-Treasurer
 

Lee Pearson
GVP Western Territory
 

Dave Ritchie
GVP Canada
 

Robert Roach,Jr.
GVP Transportation
 

Lynn Tucker
GVP Eastern Territory


Robert Martinez
GVP Southern Territory


Richard Michalski
GVP Headquarters

Philip J. Gruber
GVP Midwest Territory